CONFIDENTIAL
38. Although the Third World will continue to express concern about super power bases they remain prepared, particularly in the context of reports like the October 1985 CHOGM report on the Vulnerability of Small States, to accept training assistance from the United
Kingdom.
Security/Commonwealth Reaction
39. The independence option raises the question of the security of
small States. This problem has been considered in greater depth by
inter alia the Commonwealth Consultative Group established after the
1983 New Delhi CHOMG to study the Special Needs of Small States.
Commonwealth interest in the independence of Bermuda and the
Caribbean territories will therefore be considerable. It is likely
that most Third World Commonwealth countries would prefer an option
that allowed for both independence and security rather than the
status quo.
UN Reaction
40. Any change in the dependency status of the UK's territories is
likely to lead to discussion at the UN and criticism that the UK was
not fulfilling its obligations under Article 73 of the Charter:
When, in 1952 Puerto Rico (a territory listed by the US under
Article 73(e) decided to become a "Commonwealth" in association with
the US following two referenda, the UN General Assembly (by
Resolution 748) recognised that the People of Puerto Rico had
achieved a new constitutional status and had exercised their right
to self determination. Such UN recognition would not be granted
today. The recent UK decision to cease cooperation with the
Committee of 24 is also likely to attract some criticism in UN
quarters. But UN attention on UK Dependent Territories is likely to
be concentrated on the Falklands in the foreseeable future.
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